¿La ropa gay existe? : incidencia de la orientación sexual de hombres gay en el relacionamiento con marcas de ropa en Medellín, Colombia

Abstract

Gay male consumers represent a niche market with high purchasing power, which is attractive to businesses and brands, especially in the fashion industry. In addition, this sexual collective shows greater loyalty to gay-friendly brands. The present study investigated the incidence of gay male sexual orientation in rational and emotional consumption relationships with clothing brands in Medellin, Colombia. The methodology was qualitative and exploratory, with a sample of twelve self-identified gay male informants who were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. It was identified that sexual orientation does affect the construction of transactional relationships through stereotypes and the use of clothing as a product with cultural and semiotic characteristics and meanings that influence the construction of a social, individual, and sexual identity. Lastly, it was found that the incidence of sexual orientation has not yet been considered in affective relationships; therefore, market segmentation by sexual orientation is recommended as a tool to deepen the relationship with clothing brands and thus discover motivations that help to build deep and meaningful relationships that lead to the development of true affective loyalty.